


Changing Fate

by DarthTella



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Episode Fix-It: s02e13 Doomsday, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, doctor who - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 09:09:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15433713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthTella/pseuds/DarthTella
Summary: For a brief moment, he could sense what could've been: a vision of himself pressing an ear to the wall, sensing her presence as she mirrored his position on the other side of the Void before the breach closed for good. That timeline disintegrated into nothing.





	Changing Fate

**Author's Note:**

> (A Doomsday fix it I wrote and originally posted on FF.net in Feb 2017. I updated a few lines here and there from the original.)

The Doctor just stared at the spot Rose had occupied for a long moment. He was alone once more. She had argued, of course she did. She was Rose Tyler! She had tried to choose him over her own family. She promised him she was going to stay with him forever.

And now he had sent her away against her will. Again. Never once telling her exactly what she meant to him. He didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

Oh well, that way was probably best, he thought. Better to let her think of him as an selfish uncaring jerk than someone who truly, deeply…

"I think this is the on switch."

Her voice startled him and he looked up. Rose was back! He couldn't help but feel extremely elated (he always felt instantly happier when she was around), but that feeling only lasted a fraction of a second.

Why was she back? Couldn't she see just how much danger they were in? Why didn't she _ever_ bloody listen to him?! He jumped up and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Once the breach collapses, that's it. You will never be able to see her again. Your own mother!" He was practically shouting at her, pleading with her to see reason. Rose just stared stubbornly back.

"I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never going to leave you." Her tone was so resolute and it startled him. There was such devotion for him in her eyes. Mixed in with that devotion was another emotion he had seen so many times, but he forced himself to ignore it: love. Neither emotion he felt like he remotely deserved at this moment. Especially not after he felt like he completely betrayed her trust. Sending her away – no – _abandoning_ her was the one thing he had adamantly promised he would never, ever do to her.

"So, what can I do to help?" Rose asked just as Torchwood's computers came back online. That was his Rose, always wanting to lend a hand no matter how bad the situation was. He pointed towards one of the computer terminals.

"Those coordinates over there, set them all at six. And hurry up!" He snapped, angry at himself for thinking he could be foolish enough to send her away.

Rose scurried over to the computer and removed the dimension hopper the Doctor had surreptitiously placed around her neck just a few moments before and set to the task he'd given her. As she quickly set the coordinates she noticed another window on her screen. It was live CCTV footage of the stairwell closest to them.

"We've got Cybermen on the way up." She reported. The Doctor came up beside her to look at the screen.

"How many floors down?"

"Just one."

Rose started to fear the worst. There were too many of them! Still, she was content to be on this side of the Void with the Doctor, not cowering in some other universe.

Then, curiously one Cyberman turned and started firing on its own kind. Black oil ran down its metallic face as if it were crying. It gave them all the time they needed.

The Doctor finally cracked a smile as his computer reported that the levers were once again online and operational. He could now enact his completely daft plan of opening the Void in reverse.

Rose took his smile as a good sign.

"That's more like it. Bit of a smile. The old team." She chirped, his infectious smile spreading to her. He picked up both the Magnaclaps and walked towards her.

"Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake." Rose blinked, slightly confused by his references.

"Which one's Shiver?"

"Oh, I'm Shake." He winked at her as he placed one of the clamps into her waiting arms. They walked over to opposite ends of the room, stopping just behind the levers. The Doctor positioned his clamp on the wall, and Rose copied his movements.

"Press the red button." Rose did just as he had instructed and felt the clamp attach itself to the wall. They both stepped up to their levers as the Doctor explained, "When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us, but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff." He gave her a good, long look, hoping this wasn’t the last time he could do so. "Are you ready?" Rose nodded, as she looked out the window. The Daleks were on their way. And they were coming fast.

"So are they."

"Let's do it!" And with that, they both pushed their levers up and ran back to their Mangaclamps and held on as tight as they could. The breach opened, and a strong wind like neither of them experienced before started to blow inwards towards it. The Daleks accelerated even faster, but their movements were erratic. They spun uncontrollably through the air and were sucked in.

"The breach is open! Into the Void!" Rose heard the Doctor laugh, and she looked over and grinned back at him. It was working! Dalek after Dalek was sucked in. All around the world, all the Cyberman were simultaneously being pulled in from where they stood.

Then it all started to go pear-shaped. A small explosion erupted around Rose's lever as it malfunctioned, and it started to move quickly back into the "off" position. The wind started to die down, and there were still a handful of Daleks left to be disposed of.

The Doctor felt his hearts leap to his throat as Rose let go of her clamp and grabbed onto the lever. He was helpless to do anything! There was no way for him let go and help her without getting sucked into the Void himself! And it would take him too long to find the right setting on the sonic to fix it.

"I've got to get it upright!" She gritted out, straining to push it back into position. With one mighty shove, she somehow managed it. But wasn't able to get back to her clamp and held on as tight as she could to her lever.

"Rose, hold on! Hold on!" The Doctor screamed desperately at her. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid when he sent Rose to the parallel world. Ever since that morning when they discovered the army of ghosts, he could feel a great temporal tipping point was coming up. As the battle between Humans, Cybermen and Daleks began he started to fear that the Beast's prophesy was actually going to come true! And now he watched helplessly as Rose's feet were swept out from under her, and she was now only hanging on by her fingertips.

No! She couldn't be the valiant child who would die in battle! She just couldn't! She was Rose Tyler! _His_ Rose Tyler! The woman he loved with his entire being!

And he never once told her.

Oh, he did try and show her how much he cared for her. But Humans, clever as they are, sometimes just needed to be told.

She couldn't die. Not like this!

But now, he was horrified that she would.

The last of the Daleks tumbled into the Void.

Her already perilous grasp faltered and her fingers slipped completely off the lever. She scrambled to grab it again, but she was too far out of reach. Her screams ripped right through him. He heard another scream.  It took him a moment to realise he was screaming himself.

She was tumbling towards the Void! Her eyes locked with his and he could see the raw terror reflected in them.

Suddenly, the breach collapsed in on itself. Her momentum propelled her forward and she slammed into the stark white wall and crumbled to the floor where she lay unmoving. Without even telling his limbs to do so, the Doctor detangled himself from his clamp and rushed over to her.

"Rose!" Throwing himself onto his knees, he turned her over carefully and desperately checked her over for any signs of serious injury. She was still breathing, her pulse was rapid, but steady. But she had yet to open her eyes. "Rose?" He framed her face with his hands, his fingers lightly caressing her features.

"Please." He gritted through his teeth, his voice was only a choked whisper. "Please, please, _please._ Rose. Don't do this to me. Please, Rose, _please!_ "

Seconds ticked by, but as far as the Doctor was concerned, it could’ve been an eternity.  Then, Rose's face scrunched up as she took a sharp breath in, and she muttered something under her breath.

"What?" The Doctor breathed, his hearts feeling like they were going to give out any second.

"I asked, if you got the number of that bus." She blinked her eyes open and smiled up at him. "Hello."

He sighed in relief and took a few deep breaths to try and control his emotions, which was difficult to do especially since he couldn’t even name them.  The adrenaline that had been surging through his veins was quickly being replaced with relief, although his hears still felt like they were trying to flee his chest they were beating so fast.  A sudden giddy laugh bubbled out of him and it quickly spread to Rose.  Despite his best efforts, his eyes started to well up and Rose saw one of the tears leak out and she caught it with her thumb. He caught her hand and just held it to his cheek.

"Hi." He breathed getting his giggles under control.

She smiled up at him before moving to sit herself up but winced when she tried to put weight on her left wrist as it was the one that slammed into the wall. The Doctor noticed her pained expression and helped her sit up and cradled her against his chest. He gently took her injured wrist and examined it.

She hissed in a breath and barely suppressed a whimper as she struggled to keep still as he probed an especially tender spot with his fingertips where dark bruises had begun to form. He diagnosed that it wasn't broken, just badly sprained. He quickly removed his tie and used it as a makeshift bandage so she wouldn't injure it further. He turned her injured wrist over carefully, reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver and took a moment to find the setting he wanted. Rose felt a distinct tingling sensation as he flipped the switch and slowly waved it over the injury, no doubt doing something to speed up the healing process. Nodding in satisfaction, he slipped the sonic back into his pocket, never taking his eyes off her wrist. Her breath then caught as he brought her hand up to his mouth and pressed a feather-light kiss to her palm. She couldn't help the flush that appeared on her cheeks at this incredibly rare and intimate gesture.

"There. All better. Well… not really. You still have some significant tissue damage, but it will all heal in time." A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he gently caressed her wrist and palm. "Human beings. You're so resilient."  He kissed her palm again, this time lingering for several moments.  Rose couldn’t help her thumb brushing against his chin as he did so.

He slowly got to his feet and reached out to her. "Are you able to stand?"

"Yeah.  I-I think so." Her voice was shaky as she reached out and took his hands the best she could with an injured wrist and allowed him to pull her up. She wobbled slightly when she got on her feet, and the Doctor was quick to steady her and pulled her into a tight hug. And was it just her imagination, or did she just feel his lips brush against her temple, before he rested his cheek atop her head? They just held each other for a long moment, neither one wanting to let go, but then he felt her turn her head.

"She's gone forever." She whispered, staring at the stark white wall.

"Yes." The Doctor replied simply. There wasn't much more he could say.

"Right, well… Mum has Mickey and… and Dad. They'll look after her, I'm sure. And I… I chose this." He could tell Rose was struggling with tears but she somehow willed them away.

"Why? You would've been safe on the other side. You would still have your family."

"I told you: I made my choice." She burrowed her head deeper into his shoulder.

"Why?" He repeated his question, pulling away from her slightly so he could look her properly in the eye. "Rose, don't get me wrong: I'm so, so happy you're here and I was so incredibly _stupid_ to think I could just send you away like that. I should've known really that you'd come right back to me. You always do." He chuckled dryly. "But… but… I'd rather know you were alive and with people you love than… than seeing…" He choked down the emotion rising up his throat as he gestured toward the wall. For a brief moment, he could sense what could've been: a vision of himself pressing an ear to the wall, sensing her presence as she mirrored his position on the other side of the Void before the breach closed for good. That timeline disintegrated into nothing and he shook himself back into the present. When he spoke again, his voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. "I nearly lost you today. For good."

"But you didn't." Rose tried a smile again, but her voice was also choked with repressed tears. "And… and as for me bein' with someone I love… well…" She smiled meaningfully up at him and placed her hands on his chest, one over each rapidly beating heart. The Doctor stared down at her for a long moment. His hands came up to cover hers and he squeezed hers gently.

"Rose, I…" Closing his eyes and lowering his head, he trailed off. He wanted to tell her those hearts she felt were hers, always had been and always will be. To cheesy?

Oh, for Rassilon's sake! This was this kind of opportunity he needed to finally tell her, but the words were stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath and tried to open his mouth again to speak but all that came out was a frustrated sounding sigh.

Rose began to pull away from him, tears forming in her eyes. He looked up and watched as her smile faded into an expression of hurt. No! He couldn't have that! For once his gob had utterly failed him, but only because he couldn't adequately describe just how deep his feelings ran for her in _any_ of the billions of languages he was fluent in. But then, didn't he often hear that actions spoke louder? At this moment, he could only think of one appropriate action he could take. He took in a deep breath to steady himself and Rose didn't have any time to react before he ducked his head down and pressed his lips to hers, giving her the sweetest and most gentle kiss she ever received in her life. He felt her sharp intake of breath and her shoulders shake with tears and he immediately pulled away, inwardly chastising himself for acting so recklessly. But then she let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh and the next thing he knew, her arms were around his neck, one hand trailing up into his hair, and she was kissing him. He stood shock still for a moment before he just melted into her. His arms looped around her waist and he held her tight as she poured everything she had into that kiss, and he responded in kind.

Mindful of Rose's need for air, he pulled away slightly to let her breathe.

"Well…" The Doctor chuckled breathlessly despite his respiratory bypass. Rose smiled back.

"I love you." The words tripped effortlessly off Rose's lips, and it caused the Doctor's smile to widen.

"Quite right, too." He couldn't help the cheeky response, but then his smile softened as he reached up and caressed her cheek, revelling in the way she leaned into his touch. "And I've had so many chances to say it, but I never did, I just assumed you knew, even though I've been such a bloody coward about telling you… but sometimes there are things that just need to be said, and I don't want this to be my last chance: Rose Tyler," The words got stuck in his throat again, but he shook his head sharply and plowed on: "I love you.  So much."

Rose smiled and pulled him into a hug, and he laughed as he lifted her off the ground. She gasped when he decided to twirl her around for the heck of it, but she had to readjust her grip on his shoulders to keep from falling. This small movement jostled her wrist and shoulders and she couldn't help but yelp slightly in pain. The Doctor immediately set her down, apologising profusely. Of course, the strain of holding onto her clamp would've caused some major discomfort!

He was just so thick sometimes.

"I'm okay." Rose gave him a weak smile, wincing slightly as she rolled her shoulders. "I just wanna go home now."

The Doctor felt his hearts plummet.

She wanted to go home?

Back to her old life working in a dead-end job, watching _Coronation Street_ and eating beans on toast?

Alone?

She wanted to leave now knowing his feelings for her?

It didn't make any sort of sense!

"Home?" He squeaked, hoping to keep the panic out of his voice. He didn't.

"Back to the TARDIS." She clarified, looking at him like he just dribbled all down his shirt. The Doctor breathed out roughly and laughed feeling absolutely foolish for doubting her.

"Rose, the TARDIS can be your home for as long as you want it to be.  And I suppose… as long as you’ll have me?"  He looked suddenly shy.  Rose tilted her head and appeared to be contemplating his offer.

"Can that be forever?"

He reached out for her hand suddenly grinning like a loon, and she took it.

"Forever." He confirmed.


End file.
